Albus and the Unexpected
by WhovianPotterhead117
Summary: Albus Potter heads off to school for his first time and finds that he does not always expect what happens. AlbusxOC and some JamesxOC
1. Chapter 1

Albus and the Unexpected

Author's Note: Hi this is my very first fan fiction so I'm really nervous to post this. I know, the first chapter probably sounds familiar in some parts, but don't worry. I changed a few things and added my own stuff as well. I'm not a very good author, but please bear with me as I try to learn. If you have any suggestions or comments, please feel free to write a review.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All rights go to J.K. Rowling

Chapter One

Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of September first was crisp and golden as an apple, and Albus couldn't stop smiling as he knew what he and his family were heading towards. They quickly walked across the busy road filled with cars and people towards a train station. This wasn't just any train station, however; this was Kings Cross. Albus had been looking forward to this day since he was just a little tyke.

As the little family walked into the stone building, Albus looked around with an even bigger grin on his face. He couldn't believe this was the year he would be going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"I bet you'll be in Slytherin," his brother, James, snickered into his ear.

"I won't! I won't be in Slytherin!" Albus shouted. James had an evil smirk on his face, clearly amused.

"James, give it a rest!" Ginny said. She was pushing a trolley behind them with her husband, Harry, following her lead. A small redhead girl was clinging to their dad's arm while crying.

"I only said he might be," James replied, grinning at his younger brother. "There's nothing wrong with that. He might be in Slyth-"

But James caught his mother's eye and fell silent before he could finish. The five Potter's quickly approached a barrier between platforms Nine and Ten. With a slightly cocky look over his shoulder at his younger brother, James took the trolley from his mother and broke into a run. A moment later, he had vanished.

"You'll write to me, won't you?" Albus asked his parents immediately, capitalizing on the momentary absence of his brother.

"Every day, if you want us to," said Ginny.

"Not every day," he said quickly. "James says most people only get letters from home about once a month."

"We wrote to James three times a week last year." His mom pointed out.

"And you don't want to believe everything he tells you about Hogwarts," Harry added. "He likes a laugh, your brother."

Side by side, they pushed the second trolley forward, gathering speed. As they reached the barrier, Al winced, but no collision came. Instead, the family emerged onto platform nine and three-quarters, which was obscured by thick white steam that was pouring from the scarlet Hogwarts Express. Indistinct figures were swarming through the mist, into which James had already disappeared.

"Where are they?" asked Albus anxiously, peering at the hazy forms they passed as they made their way down the platform.

"We'll find them," Ginny said reassuringly. The vapor was dense, and it was difficult to make out anybody's faces. Detached from their owners, voices sounded unnaturally loud. A voice ahead was very loudly talking about broomstick regulations, which Albus just ignored, since he was merely a first year.

"I think that's them, Al," said Ginny suddenly. Albus turned to find a group of four people emerge from the mist, their faces coming into focus when Harry, Ginny, Albus, and Lily Potter had gotten close to them.

"Hi," said Albus, sounding immensely relieved.

Rose, who was wearing her brand-new Hogwarts robes, beamed at him. "Hello, Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny!"

"Hey!" Ginny smiled and hugged her. "Where's Hugo?"

"Talking to Lily, it looks like." Uncle Ron said. They appeared to be having an animated discussion about which House they would be sorted into when they finally went to Hogwarts in two years.

"If you're not in Gryffindor, we'll disinherit you," Ron told Rose. "But no pressure."

"Ron!" Hermione said, slapping his arm. He chuckled and rubbed his arm where she hit him.

Lily and Hugo laughed, but Albus and Rose looked nervous. "He doesn't mean it," said Hermione and Ginny in unison. They both relaxed a little at this. Albus looked up at his father, who was staring at the other end of the platform. The mist had cleared just enough so they could see a small family of three standing together.

"Well, if it isn't Draco Malfoy," Harry mumbled. Al noticed the man and his son looked just as much alike as he did to Harry. The each had platinum blond hair that was forced back and piercing blue eyes. The father was wearing a dark coat buttoned up to his throat. He looked up to find Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny staring at him, nodded, and looked away again.

"So, that's little Scorpius," Ron said under his breath. "Make sure you beat him at every test, Rosie. Thank goodness you inherited your mother's brains."

"Ron, for heaven's sake," said Hermione, half stern, half amused. "Don't try to turn them against each other before they've even started school!"

"You're right, sorry." He said, but unable to help himself, added, "Don't get too friendly with him, though, Rosie. Granddad Weasley would never forgive you if you married a pureblood."

"Hey!"

James had reappeared; he had divested himself of his trunk, owl, and trolley, and was evidently bursting with news. "Teddy's back there," he said breathlessly, pointing back over his shoulder into the billowing clouds of steam. "Just seen him! And guess what he's doing? Snogging Victoire!"

He gazed up at the adults, evidently disappointed by the lack of reaction.

"Our Teddy! Teddy Lupin! Snogging our Victoire! Our cousin! And I ask Teddy what he was doing-"

"You interrupted them?" Ginny asked. "You are so like Ron-"

"-And he said he'd come to see her off! And then he told me to go away. He's snogging her!" James added as though worried he had not made himself clear.

"Oh, it would be lovely if they got married!" whispered Lily ecstatically. "Teddy would really be part of the family then!"

Harry looked down at his watch. "It's nearly eleven. You'd better get on board."

"Don't forget to give Neville our love!" Ginny told James as she hugged him.

"Mom, I can't give a professor love!"

"But you know Neville-" James rolled his eyes.

"Outside, yeah, but at school he's Professor Longbottom, isn't he? I can't just walk into Herbology and give him love…"

Shaking his head, he decided to vent his feelings by aiming a kick at Albus. Albus dodged the blow and stuck his tongue out at James. Ginny kissed Albus good-bye. "See you at Christmas." She said.

"Bye, Al." Harry said, giving him a hug. "Don't forget, Hagrid's invited you to tea next Friday, don't mess with Peeves, don't duel anyone until you've learned how, and don't let James get to you."

"What if I'm in Slytherin?" He whispered, bringing back the earlier conversation.

Harry bent down where he was eye to eye with his son.

"Albus Severus…You were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin. He was one of the bravest men I ever knew."

"But what if-"

"-Then Slytherin House will have gained an excellent student."

Suddenly, the sound of doors closing broke the silence. Albus jumped into the carriage as Ginny closed the door. Students were hanging from the windows trying to get a better look at Harry.

"Why are they all staring?" Albus asked.

"Don't worry. It's me. I'm extremely famous." Ron said.

Everyone laughed. The train began to move out of Kings Cross Station and Albus's nervous kicked in. He waved to his father just as they rounded the corner and out of sight. He was still curious about where he would be sorted, but for now, he had other problems to deal with.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All rights go to J.K. Rowling

Chapter Two

Albus silently sat next to Rose. They were on the Hogwarts Express and his mind kept traveling towards Slytherin House.

"Don't worry about it," said Rose, who was reading Hogwarts, A History. Albus shook his head. "Al, it's no big deal. Even if you do end up in Slytherin, that doesn't mean you're a bad person. It just means you're ambitious."  
"Or evil…" Albus muttered under his breath. James overheard and just snickered, sitting next to the window by Rose. Just then, the blond boy they had seen at the station slid the door open and sat down across from Rose. She had looked up then continued reading.

"Hullo." He said.

Albus nodded but said nothing.  
"I'm Scorpius Malfoy," he said, talking more to Rose than Albus, and sticking his hand out for a handshake.

"My uncle told me not to trust a Malfoy," Al stated simply. Scorpius' face went from friendly to a sneer in a second.

"Al, you know how ridiculous my father can be," Rose sighed, looking up now. Hand still out, Scorpius looked at each of them. Ever so slowly, he pulled it back, looking at Rose. Albus stared out the window at the passing trees. He soon fell asleep, and when he awoke again, it was dark.

"We'll be at Hogwarts soon, Al. You might want to change into your robes." Rose said.

Albus looked around and saw that neither James nor Scorpius were in the room. He stood up, pulled his trunk off the rack, and stepped out into the hallway. Albus had never seen so many kids in one place before. He went up and down the whole train trying to find a place to change. By the time he found an empty room, the train was slowing down.

Al quickly got changed, grabbed his stuff, and found his brother and cousin. Everyone was talking with excited voices as they left the train single-file. A deep, booming voice yelled over the crowd, "This way, first years! This way!" The three of them turned to see a giant man wearing a moleskin overcoat and a lantern in his enormous hand. He was easily fifteen feet tall and five times as wide as a regular man. You could hardly see his face, as it was covered with thick bushy hair.

"Hagrid!" shouted Albus and Rose simultaneously.

"Al! Rosie! 'Ow are you?" Hagrid asked happily, and then added, "Oy, James! What do you 'ink you're doin'?

James spun around and immediately started blushing. He had been trying to slip a lizard into a first year girl's robe. Suddenly, he walked off to go to the castle with the other students as Hagrid led all the first year students to the lake.

Albus expected the boats to be pretty big as there were a large number of students, but instead, they looked like ordinary rowboats. On the other side of the lake, they saw a huge castle. The windows were lit up, sparkling against the dark glassy surface of the water.

"Everyone get in the boats!" Hagrid boomed. "Please make sure to 'ave only two or three people in each. There's no need to be sinkin'."

Rose and Albus climbed into the boat closest to them and waited. Albus couldn't help but think of Slytherin, once again. Suddenly, the boats lurched forward. The ride was slow and pleasant. Al even thought he saw a giant eye looking up at him from beneath the surface. Pretty soon, the chatter from other students died down as they reached the opposite shore.

Hagrid, being in front of everyone, got out of his boat first and shouted, "Everyone form two lines!"

Rose went first, Albus close behind. Almost right after the two had gotten in line Al was shoved aside landing on a sharp rock.

"Hey! What was that for?" he shouted at Scorpius. The boy ignored him, seeming to feast his eyes on the back of Rose's head. Al stood up, rubbing his arm where he landed.

"Follow me!" Hagrid yelled, walking towards the front doors of the castle. Albus quickly got in line as all the students started running after the giant. After a couple minutes they reached the two large doors leading into the building. All around them, you could hear students panting, choking, and gasping for air.

"Hagrid, you really should slow down! The first years are always dying before we can even get them sorted!"

Albus stood on his toes, trying to see who had spoken. It was an elderly witch. She had a tall pointed hat with matching robes. Her grayish white hair was pulled back and she wore spectacles with a look on her face as if her hair was pulled too tight.

"Sorry, Minerva," Hagrid mumbled trying hard not to look at her.

"You can go now. I'll take care of them from here." She told him. She opened the door, which led to the entrance hall, and light burst out into the night. The hall was so huge it could've fit a house in it easily. The stone walls were lit by bunches of torches, the ceiling was so big you could hardly see it, and a grand staircase in front of them led to the upper floors.

The stern looking witch showed them to a small empty chamber off the hall. The students filed in and stood closer than was normal while looking around. The old professor appeared to be talking to a very darkly dressed girl. Albus hadn't seen her on the train or in the group of first years. It was like she came out of nowhere.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said to the rest of the group. "Traditionally, I would be in the Great Hall waiting, as I am the Headmistress, but I enjoy the first years too much." She smiled as she said this. "Now, the start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your sets in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin-"-Albus' stomach flipped as soon as she said it-"-Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting. I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly." She left the chamber.

Albus looked at Rose, who had a huge smile on her face as she looked around at Al. Scorpius was just staring at her like a crazy person. After a few moments, the Professor had come back into the room.

"We are ready. Now, form a line and follow me." She said. The darkly dressed girl was standing by her once again and Al noticed she wasn't even wearing school robes. Suddenly the line lurched forward into the hall then into a huge room full of kids and smiling faces. Albus had no time to react and was tripping over his feet.

The Great Hall, from what Albus could see, was a very large room with tall glass windows, five very long tables, and really high ceilings with a roof that was enchanted to reflect the sky.

"Albus!" Al turned around, or tried to, and found Rose smiling at him. "Excited?"

Albus grimaced and shook his head no. Rose gave him a small smile, shrugged, then looked up as the room got quiet. Professor McGonagall had placed a stool in front of the first years and placed an old wizard's hat that was patched, frayed, and very dirty on top of it. Suddenly, the hat twitched and a hole opened up like it was a mouth. Albus' jaw dropped when it began singing:

"_Many a year ago it seems,  
The duty fell to me,  
To sing my song and bring the news,  
Of where students ought to be.  
Chosen by the founders four,  
To help young students find their way,  
When, confused, they stumble in,  
On their first Hogwarts day.  
Four houses to choose from,  
Not one less or more,  
Each one by a different founder,  
To fill with students they adore.  
Gryffindor, loving bravery,  
Chose the strong of heart,  
While Slytherin, feeling differently,  
Thought cunning the greatest art.  
Ravenclaw claimed for her own house,  
The brainy and the smart,  
While Hufflepuff took to her dear house,  
The just and kind of heart.  
All these students, with their differences,  
Are each key to this great school.  
And if Hogwarts hopes to stand,  
Unity's the greatest tool.  
House to house and hand to hand,  
Leaving differences behind.  
Only when you work together,  
Can your strengths all be combined.  
Now at last, the time has come,  
For me to send you separate ways.  
But remember, our division,  
Could bring the end of Hogwarts' days."_

(A/N: I didn't write the song. . )

The whole hall burst into claps and whoops when the song finished. Professor McGonagall stepped up holding a long scroll. "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she informed the students. "Anges, Olivia!"

At this point, Albus stopped paying attention. He occasionally heard the hat's shout of "Gryffindor", "Ravenclaw", "Hufflepuff", or "Slytherin" followed by thunderous applause.

"Malfoy, Scorpius!" Al raised his head just in time to see the blond boy sit on the stool. He had a smug grin on his face. McGonagall slowly placed the hat on his head, but before it was on him, it shouted, "Slytherin!"

Albus was more nervous than ever as he watched the boy sit down at the emerald table. He did not want to be in the same house.

A few more names were called before he heard "Potter, Albus!" The room went dead silent, as if anticipating something. Albus slowly walked to the front of the room, not wanting to know which house he'd be in.

When he finally made it to the front, Al looked around for a familiar face. James smiled and gave him a thumbs-up. Everyone seemed to lean forward in their seats. Albus slowly sat down, trying to postpone his sorting. The professor put the hat over his head and Albus was emerged in endless black.

The hat seemed to take forever to make its decision. Six minutes passed. Seven. Eight. Albus got more and more uncomfortable as he could feel peoples' stares.

After ten minutes of sitting in total darkness, the hat finally made its decision and Albus' heart skipped a beat.


	3. Author's Note

**A/N: Hey, guys! I'm so sorry for not updating. I've been working, preparing for tryouts, and school started. I don't know when I'll have the chance to post again, so I'm going to try to do a double post tomorrow :) Thanks so much for reading.**


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

As soon as the hat was lifted off his head, Albus looked at his brother. James' mouth was hanging wide open, and so was everyone else's. The echoes of the hat's shout of "Slytherin" rung in his ears.

Albus stood up slowly and made his way towards the opposite side of the room from his brother. The room was dead silent as eyes trained on him walking to the green and silver table. He looked at the Gryffindors, then back at the Slytherin table, unsure of what to do. He was hoping this was all one big prank and the Sorting Hat would call out a different House; any house. Albus got to the table and reluctantly sat next to Scorpius, who had a wide smile on his face.

"Starbreeze, Alisha!"

The girl in black quickly walked to the stool with a smirk on her face and sat down. Before Professor McGonagall could even get the hat on her head, it shouted, "Slytherin!"

"That can't be good…" Scorpius muttered.

"What do you mean?" Albus asked, slightly worried. He had an idea, but wasn't sure. Scorpius ignored him. Twenty kids and a half hour later, it was finally Rose's turn.

As she walked up, the girl named Alisha said, "Ugh. Red hair. Bet she's a Weasley. I say she'll be in Gryffindor." Albus looked at her. Her and orange hair went down to her shoulders; her bangs hiding her blue-purple eyes. Albus noticed there was something on her arm, but her shirt was covering most of it.

"Can I help you?"

There was a sound of annoyance in her voice and Albus realized he was staring. He looked up and their eyes met, causing him to quickly look away as Rose was sorted.

"Ravenclaw? A Weasley?" she snorted. "Who's her mother, Hermione Granger?"

"Yes, actually, she is." Albus remarked, getting angry. Then, realizing what she had said, he added, "Wait…how do you know about Hermione? And the Weasley's?"

Scorpius laughed loudly, making most of the table stare at them. "Are you kidding? Anybody who doesn't know about the "Golden Trio" has to have been living under a rock! They're the most famous Hogwarts students alive!"

_The "Golden Trio"? Who could that be?_ Albus thought to himself. He was completely confused.

"Now that the Sorting Ceremony is over, it is time for our feast!" Professor McGonagall clapped her hands and heaps of food appeared on the empty plates sitting on the tables. Albus had just reached toward the chicken when a transparent head popped out. Scorpius jumped and fell off his chair. The ghost chuckled an evil laugh as Scorpius climbed back into his seat.

Albus started to like the ghost. "Excuse me," he said cautiously, "Who are you?"

"Me? Who am I? Who—why, I'm, as you Hogwartians call me, the Bloody Baron, Slytherin House ghost." Albus still didn't know who that was, and just before he asked, he received a hard kick from Alisha.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"I'll tell you later. Just shut up and eat!"

Al watched the Bloody Baron float away. He suddenly lost his appetite and sat glumily watching the Gryffindors. He longed to be with his older brother, no matter how much James tormented him. The words of his father came to his mind.

_"…Slytherin House will have gained an excellent student."_

Tears began to swell in his eyes and everything went blurry. He quickly wiped them away before anyone could see. He couldn't stand the thought of being at Hogwarts without talking to his family very often.

Dinner soon ended, and Albus continued to watch James smile and laugh with his friends. He had never envied his brother so much before. Envy flooded over him like he had just jumped into a lake. Albus looked at Rose, who had apparently already made friends. It was just his luck. Why did he have to be stuck with a girl who had a ten-inch knife strapped to her belt and a Malfoy? He continued this thought while everyone finished eating. He didn't notice his table already left the room and everyone was staring at him.

"Mr. Potter," said a cold voice behind him. Albus slowly turned in his seat and looked up. "Well, well. Definitely a Potter, aren't you? Look just like him. Now I'm stuck with you." Albus couldn't say anything. "Tell me…why are you still sitting at this table while the rest of your House has left? Hoping you're actually in Gryffindor like your father?"

Albus, who was completely frozen, tried to stand up and leave. "I'm not done with you." The witch said. The Great Hall burst into laughter, obviously listening into the exchange. Al's face burned with embarrassment. "You're in my House and I will not-"

"Reina, please, let him be. I'm sure he's upset enough as it is." He heard McGonagall tell her.

A large, heavy sigh came from the witch. "Minerva, I've been here for nineteen-" her voice choked "-years. I know how to handle students." With that, she pushed Albus forward and out the room. Albus didn't dare talk in fear he would upset the witch. He could hear sniffles coming from behind him, but decided not to look at her.

She continued to push him down a corridor and into the dungeons. It seemed to take forever before they reached a brick wall. The witch suddenly said "Pure-blood" and the wall moved back to reveal a room packed full of students. Albus looked for a friendly face and the first thing he saw was the frantically waving Alisha. The witch pushed him once more and Albus reluctantly stood next to the girl.

"Glad you could join me."

The old witch stood in front of the fireplace, which was lined with emerald stone snakes, and crossed her arms, waiting for the kids to stop talking.

When they finally did, she said, "Welcome to Slytherin. I am Reina Rachett and I am Head of Slytherin House. You will call me Professor Rachett or ma'am, whichever is necessary in a situation. You will all learn the difference. Now…"

Albus started to zone out while she talked. He really didn't care. He started looking around the room and noticed that everything was dark green and had to do with snakes. Above the fireplace was a large Slytherin Crest. About three metres to the right was the door going in and out of the Common Room. In the far left corner was a wooden table with matching wooden chairs. The chairs had a type of leather seat on it that Albus couldn't quite figure out what it was. Directly next to the table was a staircase leading to somewhere above them.

"Mr. Potter. Mr. Potter!" Albus looked back at Professor Rachett. He could hear someone behind him quietly laughing.

"Yes, ma'am?" Albus replied.

"You are more like your father than I thought." The kid behind Albus started laughing so hard, Professor Rachett glared at him and he immediately shut up. "I'll talk with you later, Mr. Malfoy."

Albus had to suppress a laugh. He could hardly believe that Scorpius, a suck-up to every adult, would make one mad.

"You too, Mr. Potter." He was no longer laughing. He looked at Alisha, but she just shrugged her shoulders. Professor Rachett continued talking as Al gloomily leaned on the couch.

After what felt like forever, the professor said, "Good night. I'll see you all bright and early. Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy! Come here." Everyone groaned, however, Scorpius and Albus groaned the loudest. Al looked at Alisha once more, who mouthed "I'll wait" then disappeared with a wave of her wand. Scorpius looked up at the witch with an apologetic look on his face. Albus looked at the back of the boy's head and got the sudden urge to smack it with "Hogwarts, A History".

"Potter…I expected more from you. Your father may be Harry Potter, but it doesn't give you the right to do anything you want. Detention, everyday for a week, starting Monday."

"But-"Albus tried to protest.

"No buts! And Scorpius, I am very disappointed in you. I thought Draco taught you better than to laugh at a person with a mental disorder."

"Hey!" Al yelled, but Professor Rachett ignored him, leaving the room instead.

"Well that was fair." Alisha was no longer invisible.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Said Scorpius with his nose pointed in the air. "It was perfectly fair." Albus punched him in the arm.

**A/N: Weird place to end, I know. Chapter 4 (hopefully) will be up today. If not, I will do my best to get it up this week before I leave for the weekend. Special thanks to my friend Flyleaf Lover 13 for creating Alisha Starbreeze and encouraging me to post this. :) Everyone go check out her story The Silence of Lies! It's awesome :)**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N:** **It's Friday! And I'm posting again! Here's Chapter 4. Please review. I don't want to update if I don't know if you guys like it. Just a quick review, that's all I'm asking. Thanks :) **

Chapter 4

Albus sat on the deep green couch and stared at the two people with him. "We need to talk," he said.

"Uh oh," Alisha said in fake horror, "You're not breaking up with me, are you?"

Scorpius and Albus both laughed at this, placing a smile on her face.

"That's not what I meant. Scorpius, here, doesn't make any sense. Like why Rachett likes you so much? And Alisha, nobody seems to know who you are." He patted the seats next to him, invited the two to join him. Scorpius reluctantly sat on the opposite side of the couch while Alisha was quick to sit next to Albus.

"All right, Potter. I'll talk, but I'm not telling you everything," Scorpius said.

"What do you want to know?" Alisha asked.

"Who are you?"

Alisha hesitated. Her hand was fidgeting with the knife that was still attached to her belt. She sighed, then said, "I-" her knife was suddenly in hand and pointed at Al. "I'll tell you, but I swear to Merlin, if you tell anyone, I will hunt you down and kill you." She was completely serious, that much he could tell. Albus quickly nodded his head in agreement. She did the same with Scorpius until he agreed.

"About 13 years ago, I was born in a small wizarding town near Sevilla, Spain. I lived there for five years, learning Spanish and Spanish Sign. After my fifth birthday, we moved to a Muggle city in Russia where I learn Sign in Russian."

"You really like sign language," Scorpius mumbled. The knife went back towards him and he flinched. "I was just saying!"

"I figured it was a good thing to learn. I was right. When I was six, my mother gave me and my older brother, Brian, each of her most prized possessions. He got a cloak, and I got this." She gingerly fingered her choker.

"When I was seven, my mother died giving birth to my sister, Chrisalynn. We started teaching her sign language and later found out she was deaf. Another year past, and we moved to Bulgaria where I started school in Durmstrang."

Scorpius' mouth dropped. "Durmstrang! But that's a boy's school! And you were eight!"

"Not as of 19 years ago; after the Second Wizarding War. And Hogwarts is the only school that starts as late as age 11. Anyway, ever since my mother's death, I haven't exactly been the best child. I got a tattoo-"she rolled up her sleeve and pointed at a dragon that started moving and breathing fire. "-I got into fights with the older boys. One of them resulted in my getting a scar-"she pointed to a long scar that was just below her right eye, "-and I was expelled.

"We then moved to England hoping Hogwarts would accept me. Now I'm here." Albus couldn't say anything, but Scorpius had plenty to ask.

"What happened to your brother? What about your sister? What about your dad? You never mentioned him…" He continued asking questions and Alisha's face started getting really red. Albus desperately want to shut him up, knowing she was about to blow up.

"Scorpius—"he tried to say, but it was too late. She started yelling in Spanish and waved her arms around. People started gathering at the foot of the stairs to see what was happening. Alisha grabbed her knife and put it to his throat. Albus, who could see it starting to pierce Scorpius' skin, jumped up and tried to pull her off. She turned and tried to go after Albus but he jumped out of the way. Alisha finally gave up and stormed off through the crowd and to the dormitories.

"What'd she do that for?" Scorpius asked, completely oblivious. Albus stared at him. He didn't believe what he just heard. Albus had heard jokes about blondes before, but never believed them. He thought his Uncle George made them up.

Instead of helping the kid with his cut, Albus decided to go up to bed. He followed the staircases up onto another landing. There was a door on the left and on the right, each with a knocker shaped like a snake. Albus suddenly wished he had paid attention to which was the boys dormitory.

Albus grabbed hold of the knocker on the right and hit it against the door. The door swung open the immediately closed, only showing a quick glimpse of Alisha. Embarrassed, he turned and opened the door to the left. Inside, there were seven more doors. Each one was labeled with a year. Albus opened the door labeled "First" and nearly ran into a bed. Eight four-posters were crammed into the room along with the students' belongings. The room was a dark green.

Albus walked over to a bed that held his trunk, along with an emerald green and silver scarf, a tie of the same colors, and a robe which was black and green with the Slytherin Crest. He got the feeling that before the year was up, he would hate the color green.

Albus looked up and almost fell over screaming. He tried to hold it in, since the other boys were already asleep. A giant eye was looking at him through a window next to his bed. Albus stared at it. It blinked and seemed to wave a tentical at him as it swam away.

Scorpius walked in. He was still clutching his throat, although Albus didn't see any more blood. He watched him out of the corner of his eye as he pulled his pajamas out of his trunk. Scorpius sat down on his bed and picked up an envelope.

"What's that?" Albus whispered.

"A letter." He replied with a roll of his eyes.

"From whom?"

"Whom do you think? You have one, too." Scorpius pointed to a piece of parchment that was resting on Al's pillow. He walked around the bed and picked up the envelope. It was thick parchment, like his Hogwarts Acceptance Letter. He opened it and began reading:

_Congratulations! I'm Prefect Gemma Farley and I'm delighted to welcome you to Slytherin emblem is the serpent, the wisest of creatures; our house colors are emerald green and silver. As you've seen, the windows of our Common Room look out into the depths of the Hogwarts Lake. We often see the giant squid swooshing by – and sometimes more interesting creatures. We like to feel that our hangout has the aura of a mysterious, underwater shipwreck._

_Now, there are a few things you should know about Slytherin – and a few you should forget._

_Firstly, let's dispel a few myths. You might have heard rumours about Slytherin House – that we're all into the Dark Arts, and will only talk to you if your great-grandfather was a famous wizard, and rubbish like that. Well, you don't want to believe everything you hear from competing houses. I'm not denying that we've produced our share of Dark wizards, but so have the other three houses – they just don't like to admit it. And yes, we have traditionally tended to take students who come from long lines of witches and wizards, but nowadays, you'll find plenty of people in Slytherin who have at least one Muggle parent._

_Here's a little-known fact that the other three houses don't bring up much: Merlin was a Slytherin. Yes, Merlin himself, the most famous wizard in history! He learned all he knew in this very house! Do you want to follow in the footsteps of Merlin? Or would you rather sit at the old desk of that illustrious ex-Hufflepuff, Eglantine Puffett, inventor of the Self-Soaping Dishcloth?_

_I didn't think so._

_But that's enough about what we're not. Let's talk about what we are, which is the coolest and edgiest house in this school. We play to win, because we care about the honour and tradition of Slytherin._

_We also get respect from our fellow students. Yes, some of that respect might be tinged with fear, because of our Dark reputation, but you know what? It can be fun, having a reputation for walking on the wild side. Chuck out a few threats and see whether anyone feels like nicking your quill case._

_But we're not bad people. We're like our emblem, the snake: sleek, powerful, and frequently misunderstood._

_For instance, we Slytherins look after our own – which is more than you can say for Ravenclaw. Apart from being the biggest bunch of swots you ever met, Ravenclaws are more famous for clambering over each other to get good marks, whereas we Slytherins are brothers. The corridors of Hogwarts can throw up surprises for the unwary, and you'll be glad you've got the Serpents on your side as you move around the school. As far as we're concerned, once you've become a snake, you're one of ours – one of the elite._

_Because you know what Salazar Slytherin looked for in his chosen students? The seeds of greatness. You've been chosen by this House because you've got the potential to be great, in the true sense of the word. All right, you might see a couple of people hanging around the common room whom you might not think are destined for anything special. Well, keep that to yourself. If the Sorting Hat put them in here, there's something great about them, and don't you forget it._

_And talking of people who aren't destined for greatness, I haven't mentioned the Gryffindors. Now, a lot of people say that Slytherins and Gryffindors represent two sides of the same coin. Personally, I think Gryffindors are nothing more than wannabe Slytherins. Mind you, some people say that Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor prized the same kinds of students, so perhaps we are more similar than we like to think. But that doesn't mean that we cosy up with Gryffindors. They like beating us only slightly less than we like beating them._

_A few more things you might need to know: our house ghost is the Bloody Baron. If you get on the right side of him, he'll sometimes agree to frighten people for you. Just don't ask him how he got bloodstained; he doesn't like it._

_The password to the common room changes every fortnight. Keep an eye on the noticeboard. Never bring anyone from another house into our common room or tell them our password._

_Well, I think that's all for now. If you have any more questions, just ask._

Albus folded up the letter, put on his pajamas, and crawled into bed. He read the letter over again in his mind. He thought of how he would tell his parents about what all had happened. Albus slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep as the lake gently lapped against the dormitory windows.

**A/N: Thanks again for all of you who have read. Please remember to review and let me know if you like it.**

**P.S. The welcome letter was written by J.K. Rowling herself on Pottermore.**


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